41 Dinosaur Quotes about The Terrible Lizards of The Past
Approximately 250 million years ago, terrible lizards or dinosaurs started dominating Earth. Although their reign ended, the reptiles resurfaced and caught our hearts. From paleontologists' discoveries and kid's toys to heart-racing movies, we have countless sources to satisfy our curiosity about these creatures who once roamed the planet. We handpicked the dinosaur quotes below that satisfy our curiosity about these incredible creatures and our desire to understand the past.
Quick links to our selection of dinosaur quotes:
Best Dinosaur Quotes About The Prehistoric Lizards
If you uncovered the first dinosaur bone, what animal would you think it belonged to? In his book, The Natural History of Oxford-shire, Robert Plot, an English naturalist, included his discovery of the first dinosaur fossil in 1677, which he proposed to be a giant human's femur.
After two more unearthed fossils, Richard Owen, another English naturalist, coined the term dinosaur from the Greek words deinos and sauros, which mean terrible lizard, in 1841.
Then, after more than a century of further fossil discoveries, Luis Alvares, an American physicist, noticed an even layer of a rare element called iridium in a band of sedimentary rock during his expedition in Italy. Since chemical dating put the rock around 65 million years ago, Alvarez was the one who first hypothesized how an asteroid led to the dinosaur extinction.
After reading the dinosaur quotes below, learn more about the four centuries' worth of studies of these extinct creatures.
Related: For more about our natural world, you might like our selection of children's books about nature to inspire more curiosity and encourage exploration of our natural world.
Other Dinosaur Quotes By Paleontologists
Paleontologists study ancient life forms by examining fossils. One is Robert T. Bakker, renowned for his contributions to dinosaur study.
He is best known for challenging the traditional view of dinosaurs, hypothesizing new ideas, such as feathered dinosaurs, long before the evidence existed. His passionate teachings have played a part in informing the dinosaur movies we watch today. So, if you are enthusiastic about dinosaurs, look into this exciting career path.
Check out Bakker's book, The Dinosaur Heresies: A Revolutionary View of Dinosaurs (here on Amazon), after reading the dinosaur quotes below from him and other paleontologists.
I think most of the dinosaur specimens we find represent subadult sizes.
~ Jack Horner
Traditional dinosaur theory is full of short circuits.
~ Robert T. Bakker
There's an incomparable rush that comes from finding dinosaur bones.
~ Jack Horner
You will never convince some paleontologists that an impact killed the dinosaurs unless you find a dinosaur skeleton with a crushed skull and a ring of iridium round the hole.
~ Frank Kyte
Quotes About Dinosaurs And Our Love For The Ancient Creatures
What dinosaur species did you first learn about when you were a kid? Probably, the ferocious Tyrannosaurus Rex or the long-necked Brachiosaurus.
Children and even kids at heart still enjoy toys, books, and movies about these extinct animals to this day. If you have kids, introducing them to dinosaurs can develop their persistence, attention, and level of processing information, according to a study on their conceptual interests1.
If you were obsessed with the creatures before, you will certainly relate to these dinosaur quotes.
I've seen many dinosaur fossils, some mounted in museums, others in the process of being extracted from their rocky matrix, and it has never occurred to me that any could be anything other than genuine.
~ Alice Roberts
As a kid, I was pretty obsessed with dinosaurs and the day that my parents took me to Dinosaur National Park, I didn't think life could get any better.
~ Chelsea Clinton
Of all extinct life forms, dinosaurs are the most popular. Why that should be is not clear.
~ Isaac Asimov
I went to my first dinosaur hall with my father and twin brother…and I was blown away by the dinosaurs.
~ David H. Koch
Funny Dinosaur Quotes To Put A Smile On Your Face
At the end of the Cretaceous period, about 65 million years ago, dinosaurs stepped down and gave the reign of the earth to mammals. So if someone says something is "like a dinosaur," they usually refer to it being out of touch with modern times. We can also use the term to describe technology or trends that have become obsolete.
Using extinct reptiles can be a great way to add humor to the conversation. Read our funny dinosaur quotes below that will make you smile.
We all have a dinosaur deep within us just trying to get out.
~ Colin Mochrie
The dinosaurs invented Jesus to test our confidence in science.
~ Karl Hess
Noteworthy Quotes About Dinosaur Movies And Shows
We can trace the rise of dinosaur popularity to the release of films like Land Before Time in 1988 and Jurassic Park in 1993. The former, a movie showcasing groundbreaking practical effects and early CGI, was an instant hit for all ages and launched the franchise we still watch today. It sparked curiosity and reminded scientists of what could happen if creatures long gone reincarnated in the present.
Read the dinosaur quotes from the lead characters and an extra one from the purple dino we also adore.
Dinosaurs have a bad public image as symbols of obsolescence and hulking inefficiency.
~ Robert T. Bakker
1 | Joyce M. Alexander, Kathy E. Johnson, Mary E. Leibham, Ken Kelley, The development of conceptual interests in young children, Cognitive Development, Volume 23, Issue 2, 2008, Pages 24-334, ISSN 0885-2014 |